Pioneers of electronic music #5: Raymond Scott

Pioneers of electronic music #5: Raymond Scott

4 February, 2009 | 4.33AM

• Written by: culprit1
• Filed under: Music News: pioneers, pioneers of electronic music

Born Harry Warnow in 1908, Raymond Scott was a hugely influential inventor, composer and bandleader. Alongside his considerable achievements in the field of composition and engineering, Scott was also a renowned TV celebrity and record company boss.

Beatportal decided to celebrate the huge contribution that this remarkable man made to electronic music, with our fifth installment in our ‘Pioneers of electronic music’ series.

Raised in New York, Scott studied engineering at Brooklyn Polytechnic, later studying piano and composition at the Juilliard School of Music, graduating in 1931. He became staff pianist at CBS and rose rapidly through the ranks, changing his name to Raymond Scott along the way.

Before he’d hit his thirties, Scott had signed a record deal with Columbia and formed his own group comprised of fellow CBS musicians, appropriately named The Raymond Scott Quintette. Popular tracks included ‘War Dance of the Wooden Indians’ (see below) and ‘Powerhouse’ (which you can also find on YouTube).

Video: Raymond Scott ‘War Dance of the Wooden Indians’

Scott’s other works were noted for their bizarre titles, with classics such as ‘Confusion Among a Fleet of Taxis Upon Meeting with a Fare’ and ‘Dinner Music for a Pack of Hungry Cannibals’ worthy of a special mention. Other compositions became synonymous with cartoons following Warner Brothers’ purchase of Scott’s back catalogue in the 1940s, thus ensuring regular airings on Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes animations.

Following World War II, Scott began experimenting with electronics and created Karloff, his electro-mechanical sound effects generator in 1948. Scott built his first synthesizer the following year, also establishing a record label and embarking on a stint as host of CBS Radio’s popular show ‘Your Hit Parade’.

1950 was a particularly good year, with Scott accepting the position of bandleader on NBC’s TV version of ‘YHP’ (much of the considerable salary being invested in Scott’s ongoing experiments). The same year also marked Scott’s first meeting with the legendary Bob Moog, launching a working relationship that would last fifteen years.

As the decade progressed, Scott threw himself deeper in to invention and experimentation, creating his famous Clavivox amongst other contraptions such as the Videola, Circle Machine and Electronium.

An example of the latter can be heard on the peculiar ‘Cindy Electronium’, recorded in 1959.

Video: Raymond Scott ‘Cindy Electronium’

In 1962, Scott recorded his famous ‘Soothing Sounds for Baby’ trilogy of electronic albums on Epic Records. The records are still available today and can be interpreted as a forerunner to the 1990s ambient movement.

Scott also provided corporate jingles and advertisements for companies such as IBM and County Fair, many of which proved to be astounding compositions in their own right. The best of these were collected in the fantastic retrospective ‘Manhattan Research Inc.’, released on the Basta label in 2000.

In 1971, celebrated music impresario Berry Gordy employed Scott as ‘Head of Electronic Research and Development’ at Tamla Motown, but this potentially exciting collaboration sadly led to nothing.

From that point, Scott continued to create and amend his machines but faded from public view. His last pieces were recorded in 1987 and his final years were sadly blighted by ill health.

He died in 1994 at the age of 85. There was however something of a Raymond Scott revival in the 1990s, as more music fans became aware of Scott’s output via a range of excellent reissues and compilations.

Described by Kronos Quartet’s David Harrington as “a major American composer”, Scott has since found favour with an ever-growing list of musical celebrities such as film composer John Williams, electronica producer DJ Spooky, REM’s Peter Buck and Henry Rollins.

Scott’s music has been sampled by Gorillaz, J-Dilla, Madlib and El-P amongst others - a testament to his wide appeal.

To discover more about this fascinating pioneer, check out the excellent resources listed below.

Sources

Raymond Scott website: www.raymondscott.com

Blog honouring Raymond Scott: http://raymondscott.blogspot.com/

MySpace honouring Raymond Scott: http://www.myspace.com/OfficialRaymondScott

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